


What Angel Wakes Me

by foxjar



Category: Persona 5
Genre: Alternate Universe - Fae, Alternate Universe - Final Fantasy XIV Fusion, Fantasy, M/M, Nightmares, Romance
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-06-13
Updated: 2020-08-02
Packaged: 2021-03-02 17:22:30
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 2
Words: 4,013
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24430525
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/foxjar/pseuds/foxjar
Summary: Yusuke is a fae who helps to steal nightmares."Do you remember your bad dreams?" Akira asks."Yes." Yusuke thinks about the things he has seen and felt from his past life: the hunger, the pain. Although he doesn't remember the exact circumstances of his death, it was still an end to the person he once was, no matter how unfamiliar that person may be to him now. "I remember all of them."
Relationships: Kitagawa Yusuke/Kurusu Akira
Comments: 4
Kudos: 43





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> [Poetry Fiction prompt (Yehuda Amichai; Farewell)](http://poetry-fiction.dreamwidth.org/29643.html):
>
>> From this day forth, you turn into the dreamer  
> of everything: the world within your hand.
> 
>   
> I based Yusuke's backstory on the pixie's lore of having been humans who died (thus CNTW).
> 
> Here's [Titania's theme](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=saYCZ9jzLEA) that the story is named after, as well the theme for [Lyhe Mheg](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U8-k6-0-k3k).

Yusuke has never left the land of Il Mheg in this lifetime. The shimmering waters of the lake, the endless meadows full of vibrant flowers, the towering castle that houses the slumbering king of the fae folk — it is all Yusuke has known for what feels like centuries. But when he is alone, sometimes he squeezes his eyes shut and tries to comb through some of his memories from before he was reborn. The memories of his past are often dull as if he's listening to someone else tell a story, trying to imagine places and creatures he has never seen. But as foggy as they may be, these visions are a part of him; they are some of the few things he brought with him over to this new life.

From his memories, he knows that he once lived in a sprawling metropolis with buildings that touched the clouds, testing the limits of nature's mercy. He never did find out if they pressed the earth and elementals too far, but he remembers some of the people he shared his life with. The images of his mother are the most vivid in his mind, with her gentle smile and long hair that smelled of flowers.

His passion for painting is another thing that Yusuke brought with him over into this life. When he lived as a human before, he always had the luxury of having his supplies provided for him. He never had to worry about cost or acquisition, since he was sponsored by a wealthy benefactor who purchased all of the tools he needed. People believed that he would be a famous painter when he got older, bringing wealth and fame to those that supported him — if only he hadn't died so young. If only the Flood of Light hadn't swept through the land, causing all to abandon the places they once called home, pushing them further and further away as the monsters in the light slaughtered both man and beast.

Was it starvation that ended Yusuke's life? He can't quite recall, but sometimes he still feels the pangs of hunger from back then — an echo of a memory. The Flood of Light stole more and more land each year, forcing humanity to retreat onto smaller settlements. Food became scarce, and even though Yusuke isn't part of that world anymore — is no longer human, no longer mortal in the sense that he once was — he knows that those same struggles still exist. The endless light has yet to dissipate, after all; if anything, the hardships that mortals experience have only increased.

The world is caught in a battle between the blinding light and encroaching darkness, and there is nothing Yusuke can do about it. For all he knows, he might live forever as the creature he has become; time is irrelevant to the fae. They live for playing tricks on anyone who dares to step foot into Il Mheg: clouding their vision as they attempt to traverse the land, tickling them as they sleep, and stealing their provisions. Although this is the life that Yusuke was reborn into, this merciless trickster isn't who he is.

This isn't who he wants to be.

Yusuke crafts his own paint now. He gathers flowers and roots from all across the meadows, crushing and mixing them into all sorts of new colors that have yet to be named. Then he paints with a brush he made from blades of grass, and when he shows his work to the other inhabitants of Il Mheg, they crowd around him. They compliment his use of color and choice of subject, always the most beautiful scenic views from atop cliffs and along the lake's shore.

And yet it somehow lacks the emotion Yusuke so desperately seeks to express. His art is a pale imitation of reality — what he sees, or what he thinks he sees — but it doesn't express how he feels. No matter how many times he tries, he's never quite able to hit the mark or depict the emotions swelling in his chest. Il Mheg is his home, and yet he has never been able to portray it in his art as beautifully as he sees it in real life.

This inability to create satisfying art — paintings that he can be proud of — clouds his heart like a fog. If he is unable to paint the splendors of the world, is he even worthy of viewing them? The skills and aspirations he brought with him to this life are a burden, but they are his own.

Yusuke is an artist, and his hunger for painting fills his every breath.

If he could travel, it might help spark his inspiration to paint again. If he could just see what the world has to offer, he might be able to rekindle the love he feels for the bounties of Il Mheg.

Lyhe Mheg provides the exact opportunity he needs — the Garden of Dreams, the illusory realm where he can view the dreams of all those who slumber throughout the land of Norvrandt. It is a place free of strife and woe, with green grass stretching as far as the eye can see. There are winding slides and other attractions all along the sloping hills for the fae folk to enjoy, as well as the people who visit whilst asleep.

There are a dozen or so gates for Yusuke to choose from, all looming over him with possibility. Will it be the bustling Crystarium bordering Lakeland, or the desert of Amh Araeng? All sound exciting to him, all exotic locales promising adventure and fresh sights to drive him to create.

In the end, he chooses the gate leading to the Rak'tika Greatwood, woven with trees that twist in every direction. Just like with most other settlements, people have gathered around the gleaming blue Aetheryte, lost in its eternal spin. It makes the tiny village glow, and Yusuke frames the scene with his hands. Never before has he seen such large trees, nor has he known people to carve out their homes in such a forest.

It is a breathtaking sight, and he can feel the thrum of inspiration well up within him. Perhaps he could paint a mixture of two places: the massive forests of Rak'tika expressed with the vibrant colors of Il Mheg. But then he hears a strange sound that pulls him out of his thoughts — a low, pained moan — and although he can't do much to help, he follows the sound down through one of the caves dug into the earth. There are candles alight with blue flames to guide his way, and deep inside the cave at the end of the path, he finds beds lined up against the wall. They are made of dark wood, and his first thought is how uncomfortable they look without any blankets or pillows — how unseemly.

Then he sees a man curled up on one of the beds, tossing and turning in his sleep. No one comes to his aid — not until Yusuke reaches for him — and he doesn't think about how invasive such a touch might be. The man can't see him, anyway. No human can, so he would never know; Yusuke just wants to take a peek into his dreams to see what torments him so.

When the man opens his eyes, Yusuke's hand is still on his forehead, dipping into his dreams. He is only able to taste a bit of it — a deep loneliness with a bitter edge — before he realizes the man is staring right at him.

"You can see me?" Yusuke asks, voice incredulous.

Gray eyes peer up at him, curious and yet unalarmed despite Yusuke's sudden appearance. "Am I not supposed to be able to?"

"No," Yusuke replies. "You are not."

His name is Akira, the human who can see past the glamours that hide the fae from those they wish to slip past unnoticed. Their introductions are brief, but still, Akira seems more amused than alarmed, even after knowing Yusuke watched him as he slept.

Akira's hair is dark and wavy, and after he yawns and runs a hand through it, it still retains its haphazard shape. It gives him a tired sort of look, Yusuke thinks — but then he remembers that flicker of sadness he felt from his dreams, and he wants to know more about this strange being.

"Am I special, then?" Akira asks, leaning closer. "Since I can see you."

Yusuke has to think about this for a few moments. "I suppose you are. Does this revelation please you?"

From the small smile on his face, Yusuke can tell that it means something to Akira, but he can't tell what. It could be a sad smile, a fake smile, or a genuinely happy one — is being different so bad? Yusuke has always been set apart from his peers for one reason or another, whether that be due to his hobbies or his eccentricities. Painting is admired by the fae, but it's a rare interest to have; he doesn't know many others who paint, and even they aren't as absorbed with the activity as he is. There are many different kinds of fae who call Il Mheg their home, but most of them enjoy playing tricks on one another while others demand to be of service to passersby, as they require someone's patronage to feel content. Yusuke doesn't understand the pranks; they just interfere with his painting. And he isn't interested in providing a service or being serviced; he only wishes to while away the hours with his brushes and freshly crafted paints.

Yusuke has always been different, but he doesn't think there's anything wrong with that. He almost says that aloud — that Akira has nothing to be ashamed of, and if anything, the things that set him apart make him more intriguing — but Yusuke didn't come here for such a discussion. He came to see the splendors of the world outside of Il Mheg as he has never seen before, all to enrich his future paintings.

"Tell me about your nightmare," Yusuke says, still close to Akira, so close he can smell the earth on his clothes. Personal space is irrelevant to him as someone who is so used to being invisible to most.

A strange expression passes Akira's face — a look of uncertainty as if he's unwilling to divulge too much information just yet. "Is that what that was? I don't really remember it anymore."

"You were shivering," Yusuke says. "How could you not remember a dream that caused you such distress?"

"I don't know. Do you remember your bad dreams?"

"Yes." Yusuke thinks about the things he has seen and felt from his past life: the hunger, the pain. Although he doesn't remember the exact circumstances of his death, it was still an end to the person he once was, no matter how unfamiliar that person may be to him now. "I remember all of them."

"That's impressive. I don't think I've managed to get there just yet."

"That is quite all right. There is a remedy for such dreams, anyway. I will return with a porxie at a later time."

Akira is still all smiles as if nothing Yusuke could say has the ability to shake him. "A porxie?"

"That is correct. Porxies are familiars that we make from clay and —"

When Akira touches him, Yusuke pauses. He hasn't been touched in so long — in what has felt like eons — and Akira's hand makes him tremble. His skin is soft and warm, so unlike what he's used to. As surprising as the touch is, Yusuke doesn't pull away; he won't let himself retreat, not when he's come here to experience all that the world has to offer.

Yusuke just never imagined he'd be able to speak to someone during his exploration — and a human, at that.

"But what do they have to do with dreams?" Akira asks, interrupting Yusuke's explanation about porxies. "And who do you mean by 'we?'"

"We who steal nightmares, of course," Yusuke says.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> [You can see what porxies look like here!](https://ffxiv.gamerescape.com/wiki/Portly_Porxie_\(Mount\)) More on them in the second part.


	2. Chapter 2

Back in the Garden of Dreams, Yusuke feels light. He is buoyed in the sky, held up by a newfound sense of being needed. He can help Akira; he can take away his nightmares. When he first set out into the world, he didn't think he would meet anyone, and he never could have imagined that he would end up helping someone.

He enjoys the thought of being useful — he likes it a lot, in fact. And who knows what grandiose sights he might see within Akira's dreams?

When he asks the porxies of Il Mheg for assistance, a group of them crowd around him, sniffing at him and pressing their pink snouts against his legs. They can smell the whiff of dreamland that lingers around him in a mist; they hunger for it, long ears flapping in frustration when he picks a single porxie to help him with his task.

Its name is Azer, declared to him by the creature in a high-pitched whine. Although Yusuke takes it back with him to Lyhe Mheg, they don't set off for Akira's dreams just yet. They linger in the garden for a while, waiting for Akira to fall asleep as Yusuke watches the fae mingle with the slumbering humans. There are towers to climb, slides to slip down, and a cart that rides along a winding path. It all makes up a colorful, playful scene, just like Il Mheg, and he frames it in his hands at a distance. He never partakes in the attractions of Lyhe Mheg, preferring to observe its bounties from his distant vantage point. It's much more enjoyable for him to watch others, to see the joy on their faces, to hear their laughter; when he holds everyone at such a distance, it's easier for him to soak in the experience. The sights, the sounds, the smells — he tries to weave it all into his paintings.

When Azer snorts beside him, flapping its ears in excitement, Yusuke knows that it's time. They slink through the gate leading to Rak'tika, and this time, Yusuke minds their entrance, knowing that Akira can hear and see him. Akira has to be asleep for the extraction of his nightmares to work, after all — and there he is, curled up on his bed again. His hair falls in tufts of curls across his forehead, and although it isn't exactly unique, it is familiar to Yusuke. Something precious. Someone dear.

It feels like it has been so long since Yusuke saw him last, but it can't have been more than a few days. The Flood of Light skews the ebb and flow of day and night, and as someone who is immortal, he shouldn't be feeling the time as tangibly like he is. Despite the circumstances that brought them together, he is glad to be back. His hands shake with eagerness. What might he see in Akira's dreams? What sights has the man himself soaked in?

Before Azer sets to work — already salivating at the thought of food, drooling on the dirt floor — Yusuke touches Akira's forehead, brushing back his bangs. His hair is sweaty, his forehead warm. Being able to touch him again fills him with a sense of longing, but this time he is a little sad, too. He doesn't want Akira to linger in pain, so he steps back to let Azer work its magic, licking his sleeping face before sucking out his nightmare, gulping down the rush of red mist.

"Let me see," Yusuke demands, not bothering to keep his voice down when his porxie companion is so adamant on digesting the dream before he can take a peek. He squishes Azer's pudgy cheeks, forcing some of the mist out of its mouth and into his own lungs, and then Yusuke is there.

In Akira's world.

* * *

The forest is teeming with light, and yet it feels dark. So dark. Akira was born after the Flood began, but he knows darkness — the kind that stems from human hearts. His heart pounds in his chest, races against his breath; it beats in time with Yusuke's own as he watches Akira's dreams unfold.

A winding dirt road leads Akira outside of his village, the path stamped firm by his forebears. It twists alongside the lake, brimming with massive tree roots that provide their own paths across the water.

Yusuke has never been here himself, but through Akira's eyes, it's all so clear.

There is a woman on the path up ahead, struggling in the arms of a man. Akira doesn't know either of them, has never seen them in his village before, but that doesn't matter. The woman is calling for help, desperately twisting against the grip that holds her so tightly. There is a moment of hesitation, but only because Akira doesn't know what to say; walking away isn't an option for him.

The man falls to the ground when Akira touches his shoulder, and he can smell the sweetness of the wine that the people in his village are known for crafting. It is made from the fruit of a tree that only grows here in the southern Greatwood — a homey scent.

The woman shrieks and Akira almost says something to try to calm her, but it's too late. It's all too late. Yusuke can feel it on the tip of his tongue, the reassurances Akira wishes to utter: "It's okay. You're safe now. What's your name? Where are you from?"

Akira had lived in the village his whole life, but everyone ends up believing the man's account over his own. A noble of some sort traveling from Eulmore, as it turns out — the land of excess and greed. The woman backs up his claims, accusing Akira of being the one to assault her. In the end, Akira doesn't know what to say other than the truth.

"I just wanted to help," he says.

He is cast out from the only home he has ever known. Alone in the eternal light that never feels safe, never feels right. When he first intervened in the altercation, he hadn't been thinking about all of the tales of heroes he was told as a child, but he ponders them now: the Warrior of Darkness and the various gods his people swear their allegiance to. He thinks about the struggles they must have faced before they were revered, how they fought against the world around them: to help, to save, to nurture.

It's that thought that keeps him walking through the gloom of the forest — not that he will ever rise in importance, but that someday, it will be worth it. He can't turn away from someone in need, and someday he just hopes that it won't have to hurt so much. The betrayal won't have to sting.

Weeks later, when he finds the new village that takes a chance on him, welcoming him despite his banishment from his home, the dream starts all over again. A cycle of betrayal, starting at one end of the forest and ending in another. Yusuke smells the wine again, sees the paths winding out of the village where Akira was born and raised. He wants to tell him not to venture out today, but it's just a dream, and despite the magic that he possesses, Yusuke cannot fight fate.

Over and over, Yusuke watches Akira leave his village on that fateful day, only to be struck out when he returns. His own parents turn from him, becoming blinding figures of shapeless light as Akira comes to fear them.

If only Yusuke could tell him to stay home, lest he loses all that he holds dear.

If only Akira could hear him calling.

* * *

Yusuke shakes off the nightmare, leaving the final remnants for Azer, who giddily sucks up the mist. He watches over Akira as his eyes struggle to open, and then finally there is that clear gray staring up at him, still not afraid. Never afraid.

"Thank you," Akira says. "The dreams are gone; I can't even feel them anymore. And it was you who took them?"

"I fear I may have misspoken before. It is the porxies who consume your nightmares," Yusuke explains. "They find the taste quite pleasant."

Yusuke introduces Akira to Azer, who finds the porxie remarkable. He pats its head, laughs as it licks at his fingers, and Yusuke steps back to watch. The scene unfolding before him isn't one he had anticipated, but it is more beautiful to him than what he came here to find, more beautiful than the Greatwood itself. It is joy that he sees before him, a man laughing and smiling despite all that he has been through: the betrayal in losing his home, the anxiety of building anew.

"Come," Yusuke says, offering Akira his hand. "There is somewhere I wish to show you."

He brings him to Lyhe Mheg, to the Garden of Dreams, where all are welcome. Yusuke watches Akira's face light up as he soaks in all of the sights, both the fae folk and dreamers alike as they frolic and play and dance.

When Akira looks at him, he can feel the amazement in his eyes — that such a place truly exists. Yusuke takes him up the towering tree with massive mushrooms all around it for steps, letting him see the glory of the garden in its entirety. They relax in the verandas made of sweets, with macaron chairs and candy canes all around. The hours swoop by, and still Yusuke watches, for nothing has ever quite captivated him in all his long life as Akira's laughter, his strength to persevere.

Then it is Akira who is pulling him by the hand, leading him toward one of the slides that falls from the highest cliff. He squeezes his eyes shut before settling in between Akira's thighs, and they sail down the slope with Azer squealing in his lap. There's a rush in his stomach, a flipflop that makes him grit his teeth, and when it's over, Akira is leading him back to the top.

"Again," Akira says. "But this time, keep your eyes open."

Yusuke obeys, and this time, he understands more of what makes Lyhe Mheg so precious. He sees it all flash across his eyes as they slide down, and he feels Akira's arms around him, more real and tangible than anything he has ever known. For the first time, Yusuke feels that he is a part of something, rather than just an observer. He is part of someone's story now — Akira's story — and he can't wait to paint all that he has seen.

When it's time for Akira to return to his home, back to the waking world, Yusuke almost asks him to stay. But there will be other nights of bliss, other adventures to embark on. Yusuke has work to do himself, after all; he doesn't have paint that he feels match the color of Akira's eyes, nor the color of his hair, like the darkest of tree bark.

Their story doesn't end here. Not as long as Akira is willing to spend his nights dreaming with him, finding the joy with each other that their waking lives lack.

"You'll still visit me, won't you?" Akira asks, teetering at the edge of the gate leading back to Rak'tika. "Even though the nightmares are gone."

"Of course."

At this, Akira brings Yusuke's hand to his lips, kissing his knuckles. Yusuke's head swims at the gesture, and although he isn't sure what exactly to call the feeling that twists inside him, their farewell fills him with both agony and glee. If only it is not their last; if only Akira will touch him in such a way again.

Something tells Yusuke that he will. And besides that, he doesn't think he could stay away at this point. Not now, not when he knows Akira is out there, waiting for the moment he falls asleep so that they can be united once again.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> [Here's a really cute cover for What Angel Wakes Me.](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nOHsDF9VnGQ) I enjoy listening to it while imagining Akira and Yusuke frolicking in Lyhe Mheg.


End file.
